Function-multiplying device for automatic mechanisms



June 9, 1925. 1,541,109

C. S. BURTON FUNCTION MULTIPLYHG DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC 'IBCHANISMS med Now-11. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ave/2222; (Zar'ks [Zwm W @WOQWQ June 9, 1925. l 1,541,109 V c. s. BURTON FUNCTION MULTIPLYING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MECHANISMS Filed Nov. 11. 1920 5 Sheets-$heet 5 June 9, 1925. 1 1,541,109

c. s. BURTON FUNCTION IULTIPLYING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MECHANISMS Filed Nov. 11, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 eoo 'o ooq agooooooboeoqooooo o June 9, 1925. 1 1 1,541,109

C, S. BURTON FUNCTION IULTIYLYING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MECHANISMS Filed Nov. 11 1920 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 WITNESS INVENTOR Patented June 9, 1925. I i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. BURTON, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

FUNCTION-MULTIPLYING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MECHANISMS.

Application filed November 11, 1920. Serial No. 423,313.

To all whom it may concern: i Figure 10 is a face view of a disk em Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BURTON, a ployed in the modification shown in Fig- 50 citizen of the United States, and a resident ure 7.v of the village of Oak Park, in the county of Figure 11 is a side elevation of another Cook and State of Illinois, have invented species of the generic invention shown in certain new and useful Improvements in the preceding figures. Function-Multiplying Devices for Auto Figure 12 is a section at the line, 1212, 55 matic Mechanisms, of which the following on Figure 11. is a specification, reference being had to the Figure 13 is a diagrammatic or quasiaccompanying drawings, forming a part tabular view for indicating a desirable and thereof. systematic distribution of the ports in the The purpose of this invention is to proseveral combining plates. 60 vide in a pneumatically operated mechanism In the drawings there is shown an emfor selectively controlling the performance bodiment of this invention for the purpose of a plurality of functions, by providing of enabling a limitednumber of ducts of means for the selective individual actuation the-tracker board co-operating with a like of a major number of separate devices for number of lines of perforation of a note 65 different functions, by a minor number of sheet of an automatic player for a keyed actuators. It consists in the elements and instrument, to selectively control the opera features of construction shown and detion individually of a much larger number scribed, as indicated in the claims. of devices functioning in their several ways In the drawings: for affecting the playing. But in the broad 7 Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic rep- View of the invention it will be understood resentation of, a structure embodying this that it is not material whether the mechainvention, air duct connections being indinism thus selectively operated relates to cated by mere lines for showing their musical instruments operation, or to some course, certain valve devices being shown as other mechanism having parts to be selecactual structures in sections. I tively operated or controlled.

Figure 2 is a section at the line, 2 2, on In these drawings (see Fig. 1) there is Figure 5. showna section of a tracker board, A, and Figure 8 is a section at the line, 33, on of a note sheet, B, traveling across the Figure 2. tracker board for controlling the ducts of 80 Figures i, 5 and 6 are elevations of the the former by the perforations of the latter. second, third and fourth of the combining C C, C and C are tubes leading from plates or disks, the first plate being shown four ducts, c c 0 andc of the tracker to in Figure 2. primary pneumatics, d 01 (Z and in a Figure 7 is a section similar to Figure 3, partial vacuum chamber or primary pneu- 85 being a modification having a double series matic chamber, as it is commonly called, I), of apertures for combinations, the section wherein these primary pneumatics operate. being made at such a plane as that indicated the controlling valves, 6 e 6 and 6*, for by the line, 77, on Figure 9. controlling the motor pneumatics, E E E Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing and E, which for such control are connected 0 certain pneumatics with their connections by tubes, f 7, and f, with the ports conto the outlet from the fixed combining disk trolled by respective primary pneumatics of the form shown inFigure7. contained in the chamber, D. This pneu- Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view similarly matic action thus far described is of familindicating the air duct connections for per: iar character requiring no more particular 5 tain functions, I i i i I description, and of itself it does not consti:

tute the present invention, the purpose of which is to enable the four motor pneumatics which are selectively operated by the registration of apertures in the note sheets with the four ducts of the tracker respectively, to perform selectively a much larger number than four separate individual functions, and thereby to make the four tracker ducts accomplish what hasheretofore required a much larger number of ducts, thereby reducing the requirement of tracker ducts for the auxiliary functions of a player mechanism, and making it possible, without lengthening the tracker and widening the note sheet, to have enough ducts and lines of perforations to play the entire 88 notes of a piano, and in addition tocontrol automatically the large number of auxiliary functions desirable for complete and accurate characterization ofthe music produced.

Each of the motor pneumatics, E E and FR, (see Figs. 2 and 3) is connected by a .link, G, attached to its moving leaf with one of the four disk members, H H H and H*, constituting a groupof combining plates which. are mounted side by side for parallel movement between opposite side walls, K, K of a casing which may completely enclose them and the operating pneumatics. In the form shown in the principal figures these combining plates are mounted for rotation on a fixed stud axle, Hfisecured to one of the side walls, K, and extending through the opposite wall, K and said combining plates are assembled on said axle between a member, H-", which is yieldingly pressed toward .the member, H, by a spring, H retainedon the stud axle .by a tension ing nut and washer It and b whereby the four disk members, H H HZand H, are held in compact relation, spaced apart by rubber bushings, S, hereinafter more particularly described. These combining plates are actuated back and forth by the back-andforth movementof the moving members of the respective motor pneumatics with which they are connected, the .lengthof the step action being limited by a stop bar, 1, carried on the fixed member, .H, on which all the combining lates H H H and H are,

r, l a a a mounted for their said parallel movements, said plates having each two stop lugs, ii, for

stopping against said bar in the right hand and left hand movements respectively. Each of saidmovable members has a plurality of ports arranged in succession along the path of its step movement, the extent of each member in the path of thestep movement being suflicient to contain a relatively large number of ports, that is to say, being. a relatively large multiple .of the length of thestep movement. In the ombodimentof the invention which is shown in Figures 2 to 10, inclusive, these parallelmoving menihere are disks mounted for rotation about a common axis, the path of movement, therefore, being circular about that axis, and the length of step movement being one-thirtysecond of afull revolution thus creating a possibility of thirty-two different ports in the length of the path of movement. The ports are each designated by a letter, it, with an exponent which is the number of the port in right-hand order from any selected starting point ;-that is to say, the port at the selected starting point being indicated by h ,the succeeding ports in right-hand order have their exponent-s increasing up to 32, so that the last port to the right,the one next to the left of the starting point,- is designated at it. Ports are not provided in all the members, H H 1-. 3 and H, at all the step limits throughout the circuit or path of movement, but on the contrary, each member has certain blank or portless areas, i. e., certain step. limits are without ports, and these portless steps are distributed differently on the several movable ,members, H H H and H Thefixed members, H, and H between which all the movable members, H H H" and H, are rotatably mounted have ports at all (except as hereinafter stated) of the thirty-two stepsflin the circle in which ports of the movable members are located. (See Figs. 9 and 10.) At only two points,that is, at. two of the step limits out ofthe entire thirty-two (see points 29 .and 30 on Fig. l3),all four of the members, H H", H and H, have a port, so that there is registration of these ports through-and-through all four mem bers at the normal position of rest of said members, only at two points; in the entire circumference; and atthese points the fixed member,H, may have the ports omitted, or if present, (as shown,-see Fig. 8, showing all 32 ports) they are not connected with any device to be operated, and are therefore functionless. The distribution of the portless areas or pointson the several members, H H H and H, is such that at the normal positionof rest, there is no throughand-through registration of operative ports, and so that a one-step movement,which is all that is possible,of one of the members away from that position of rest, will coinplcte the tlirough-and-through registration of the ports at one point, and movement of another of the members one step will complete the registration at another point, the movement of a third member one step will complete registration at a third point, and the movement of a fourth member one step will complete the registration at a fourth point, and so that the movement of the members by twos will complete registration at as many different points as, the numberof combinations of two-and-two which are possible of four members, (being six), and that the movement of the members by threes at lil (ill

one step will complete the re istration of all four at asmany other di erent points as the number of possible combinations by threes (which would be four); and, as above noted, all four members having registered ports at one point inthe rest position, the movement of all four members one step will bring these four registered portsinto registration with a port of the fixed member, II, thus completing registration through-andthrough of all four members and the fixed member. Fifteen combinations or groups being possible of any four registration numbers (counting each single one as a group), it will be seen that it will'be possible, by simultaneously actuating either, any one of the four i'nembers, II, II, II and H or any two of them or any three of them, or all four of them,to thereby produce regis tration through-and-through for connection with any one of the fifteen tubes, J, with an exponent, which are connected with certain fifteen ports of the fixed member, II, whose ordinal is the exponent of J. It will also be noticed that the fifteen registrations indicated are all effected by movement of the disk in one direction, say to the right. Another iifteen registrations may be effected similarly by moving the members, H H H and IP, to the left, thereby effecting registration througlnand-through with any one of fifteen additional ports of the fixed members and with anyone of the tubes, j, with an exponent which is the. ordinal of the port, connected with them respectively. Each of the tubes, J and j, (except one hereafter mentioned as leading to a duplex pneumatic for a particular purpose) may be understood as leading to a pneumatic unit in dicated conventionally at L (Figure 1), comprising a motor pneumatic, L, for performing any speciticfunction required in the operation of the mechanism for which the device is designed, and in the present instance for performing any one of the various auxiliary functions in an automatic playing mechanism.

By reference to Figure 1.3 in which the circles numbered I, II, III and IV,show the distrii'mtion of the ports and portless areas of disks, H IP, H and H, respectively,

and the thirty-two numbered radial lines indi rate the position of the thirty-two -pos sible outlet ducts of the J and 7' series,-- (fifteen), plus two ductless or blind ports, it may be understood what disks being simultaneously given a single step movement to the right or to the left, will thereby effeet tlirough-and-through registration of the ports of the several disks, and so open air communications with tubes of the two series, j and J, for operating function-performing devices, as motor pneumatics for striking notes, or other parts requiring movement for auxiliary functions, in an automatic player,

or whatever mechanism is served by the device.

The following table shows the throughand-through registrations which are obtained by the diflerent combinations which are posslble to the left and to the r1 ght.

Disks moved- I I 7 To right "Gives registration at outlet ..No. 1

I No. 26

III 5 III 22 I and II No. 9

I and II I 18 l and III ll 1 and III 16 I and IV To right do No. 13

I and IV To left den. 0. 14

II and III To right dO II and III To left II and IV II and IV To III and IV III and IV To I, II, and III '10 right I, II, and III To I, II, and IV To right I, II, and IV To I, III, and IV To right I, III, and IV To II, III, and IV To right.

II, III, and IV To I, 11, III, and iv To na' For actuating the members H H H and H selectively either to the right or to the left, according to the particular functions to be immediately performed by the group of pneumatics next to be brought into action, each of the pneumatics, E E IE and E", is made double, that is to say, its moving member is interposed between two fixed members connected to each of them by a separate bellows, said bellows chambers having separate connections with the exhaust devices for collapsing them to give the actuating stroke, which will be in one direction or the otheraccording to which of the bellows is thus operated. For controlling these double bellows, tubes, m, m m and m, lead from the inner side bellows members of said pneumatics, E E, E and 15*, respectively, to ports, 03 :0 .r" and 01 in a port board, EE, and from the outer side bellows members, tubes n n and a, lead to ports, 1 y and in the same port board, the ports of the first set alternating with the ports of the second set in said board; and a valve board, 06, is mounted upon said port board, ER, with range of movement under the action of the bellows L and L to register its ports, 6, a, 6 and a respectively, either with the ports, m :8 and m or with the ports, 3 and 3 The tubes, f j, P and f, are connected respectively with the ports, 6 a, a, e, of the valve board, m.

A duplex pneumatic unit, L", controlled as to one of its bellows by any selected tube III of the fifteen. tubes, J, with numeral ex- 7 ponents, and as to the other bellows by he corresponding tube, j, with numeral exponents, has the moving board, L, connected with the valve board, cc, for actuating the valve board in one direction for registering one set of ports, and for actuating said board in the other direction for registering the other set of ports. The two tubes, shown as selected being J and y' fiare respectively rendered operative for bringing into service the pneumatics which they respectively control by the same disk movements, which according tothe foregoing table are of disks II, III and IV (see Fig. 13), only in the case of the duct, 7', the movement is to the left, and in the case of the duct, J the movement is to the right; but the same apertures or group of apertures in the note sheets for moving'the three-disks mentioned will always mean and will always produce a reversal of the direction of the step movement of the members, H H H and H*. If the last preceding movement was to the right, thetube, J, will be brought into operation and the valve board, 66, will be shifted so that the step'action will be to the left; and if the last step action was to the left, the tube, j, will be brought into action and will shift the valve board in the oppositedirection, causing the nextstep action to hate the right.

In auto-pneumatic playingdevices in connection with which this invention may be applied, certain of the auxiliary functions to be performed are sometimes required to be performed simultaneously with one, two or even with three other auxiliary functions; and the present invention may be adapted to such simultaneous performance of several functions by the following means which will now bedescribed.

At the side of the group of members, H H H and H", opposite that at which the fixed member, H, is situated, there is mounted upon the common axis of said members, H H H and H", a valve member, H and the several members, H H H and H*, which have ports 7& to 7 'to be registered througlrand-through for any of the functions with which other functions are to be performed simultaneously, are provided with ports denoted by if with a numeral exponent, said ports being radially aligned respectively with the ports, 72, having the same numerical exponent of the outer circle already described, said ports, h with an exponent, being arranged in a circle cou centric with said principal or outercircle of ports, 72, with exponent. The valve member, Hihas a normal position at which it closes all of the ports of the inner circle of ports, h and uncovers them all upon movement of said valve member a certain step from its said normal position of closure. An additional tracker duct and line of controller sheet perforations may be used for actuating the valve member, H

leading from the ports, if, if, it and ii 4 by means of a pneumatic unit, M, the perforations in the line for controlling it being made :to hold the valve at open position throughout any period of travel of the note sheet through which simultaneous performance of two functions is desired, the valve member, H being preferably returned to closing position by a spring, M when the action of the pneumatic unit, M, ceases at the terminai'ion of the aperture (or group of closely successive apertures having the effect of a continuous aperture) in the control sheet which covers it.

lVhen the total number of auxiliary functions desired is less than the number of combinations available, (which is 28 when only four original tracker ducts are utilized, one combination of each total of 15 being used for changing the direction of step movement) the excess may be taken advantage of for two or more simultaneous functions, dispensing with the valve member, and with the use of the additional tracker ducts for controlling it. This is done in the following manner: Any particular function which is sometimes to be performed alone, and sometimes to be performed simultaneously with another function, has appropriated to it two combinations out of a total possible fifteen. For one of them, the members, H H H and H, and the fixed member, H, have ports only in the outer or principal circle, and for the other function, said members have additional ports in the inner or secondary circle; and tubes for controlling the second function lead from the ports of the fixed member, H, in the second circle into communication with tubes from the ports of the first circle which pertain lo said second function. Four illustrations of this expedient are shown in the drawings. Radially aligned with the ports, 76, A it and it, of the principal circle, the second circle (see Fig. 9) in all the members, l H H and H and H, has ports, 72m, 720:, he? and h and the tubes, j, f", 7" and j, leading from these ports in the fixed member, H, are all connected into the tube, J leading from the port, 71.". I The ports, h, It, 16 and it, may be understood .as constituting one set of ports controlling the section of solo groups (for accentuat ing the solo in playing). Four other ports, as for example, it. in, It, and 1'1 are also connected for controlling the same functions respectively; and the tubes, j j and 3 are connected respectively with the tubes, j, j, j and j, leading from the ports, 71., 72 it and It, as seen at 40, so that eithe" of the two combinations will perform the respective solo functions. The port, it, may be assumed to be the control port for any function which is to be performed simuitaneously with the solo functions, as for example, for controlling the. soft pedal for softening the accompaniment. hen the solo functions are to be performed alone,

the combination for ports,'/r ,"h ,]i t and i will be evident that a similar expedient may be employed for performing simultaneously more than two functions,-that 1s,;a third circle of ports maybe used having ports at certain radial lines where three throughand-through registrations will be obtained fromthe same combination. This is indicated by ports marked b b h? and b in Figure 10. The method ofv carrying out the connections from these ports of the third series may be understood .from the foregoing description as to the connections from the ports of the second series without further illustration. I V

It willbe obvious that instead of members mounted for step movement about a pivot so that the path of the step movement and of the distribution of the several steps or stations is circular, the members having the ports to be registered may be mounted for sliding in a straight-line path from that of a similarly constructed fixed member. This modification is shown in Figures 11 and 12, and requires no particular description beyond noting that the members and their several features aredesignated in the same manner as those of the pivoted construction of the earlier figures, with the substitution of the letter 19 for the letter h, the tubes running from the boardarranged in a straight line in this form bearing the same designation as the tubes running from the ports arranged in circles in the other form.

For safety against air leakage between the consecutive movable ported members or combining plates which if it should occur would tend to cause action to take place through some of the tubes beside those which were in through-and-through registration, it is prefi; able to interpose between the consecutive combining plates stationary plates, R, each of them having ports at all the points at which tl1rougl1-and-through registration of the movable plates is at any time to occur. As a further insurance against air leakage, it is preferable to provide each of the ports of the stationary plates, R, with slightly protruding marginal lips of relatively soft material for seating upon the faces of the adjacent movable members or combining plates. Such marginallips are most effectively and conveniently provided by making bushings of suitable soft material, such as rubber, each containing the ports, such bushings, S, being set through the plates, R, and protruding very slightly at each end,-that is, at each side of said plates. The plates, R, are held in fixed position by having radially projecting lugs, R extended out at ninety-degree intervals, and engage posts, P, which bind the opposite use walls, K and K together.

In the motor pneumatics, E E, E and E, the expanding springs, E tend to return the oscillating board of the pneumatic to middle position and thereby to return the combining plate vith which the pneumaticis connected to its normal rest position. Such returnniay be assisted and insured by providing astretched spring, E, connected at any convenient point in the circumference of the combining plate and stretched radially of the plate at the rest position of the latter to a point of attachment at w, on the frame or casing, and providing also a detent, NV, having a V-shaped nose for engaging a slight V-shaped notch, positioned on the periphery of the plate at proper points for such engagement at rest position of the plate.

I claim A device for the purpose indicated comprising. a plurality of combining members mounted for movement in parallelism with each other through a definite step distance; means for positioning them all normally at a selected starting or rest position, and

Hill

member having a blank or portless area at a point along said path at which other members have ports positioned for registration, and having a port in said path at step dis tance from said portless area; the several members differing as to the points in the path at which said portless areas occur; whereby a movement of different combining members a step distance fromthe normal rest position produces through-and-through registration of ports in all the members at different points in the path of movement.

2. In a construction defined in claim 1, a fixed member adjacent one side of the group of members having the step movement, said fixed member having ports and ducts leading therefrom at step intervals along a path parallel to the path of movement of the movable members at points for registering with the through-and-through registered ports of the movable members.

3. In a construction defined in claim 1, each member having two or more parallel series of ports, the ports of each series being arranged as called for by said claim 1; whereby the same step movement of the same member or combination of members will effect registration through-and-through them at certain points simultaneously in several series.

In the construction definedin claim 1, the means for step actuation of the ported members, being adapted for moving them in either direction from normal position, and means for shifting the connection of said operating means to change the direction of the step movement.

5. In the construction defined in claim 1, the means for step actuation of the ported members, being adapted for moving them in either direction from normal position, and having alternative connections with a source of energy causing it to operate alternatively for movement in one direction or the other and means for shifting the connection of said actuating means to change the direction of the step movement, said last mentioned means comprising pneumatic connections from one line of through-andthrough registered ports whose registration is produced by movement of a selected com bination of the movable members.

6. In the construction defined in claim 1, fixed plates interposed between the movable ported members, said plates having ports registering. with the througlrand-through registered ports of said movable members. 7. In the construction defined in claim 1, fixed plates mterposed between the movable ported members, said plates having ports registering with the through-and-through registered ports of said movable members, the ports of the fixed members being provided with marginally protruding lips of relatively soft material for air tight seating on the adjacent movable members.

8. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a plurality of disks mounted for turning individually about a common axis; means for positioning the several disks in a predetermined normal relation to each other about said axis; means for giving them individually a definite angular step movement about the axis away from their respective normal positions; each disk having a plurality of ports arranged in a circle about the axis at distances of which the step movement is a common divisor; each disk having ports omitted at certain points in the circle at which other disks are provided with ports, and the several disks differing as to the points in the circle at whichthe ports are omitted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of November, 1920.

CHARLES S. BURTON 

